'My Duty Remains Protecting The Idea Of India': Rahul Gandhi's Reaction After SC Order In Modi Surname Case

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his Modi surname remark, paving the way for his Lok Sabha membership to be reinstated.

File Photo Of Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi ( Image Source :Getty )

In his reaction for the first time after the Supreme Court ordered a stay on his conviction in the 'Modi surname' defamation case, Rahul Gandhi said that his duty remained to protect the idea of India: "Come what may, my duty remains the same. Protect the idea of India," he tweeted.

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his Modi surname remark, paving the way for his Lok Sabha membership to be reinstated.

The Lok Sabha speaker can now reactivate his membership on his own, or Gandhi, armed with the Supreme Court order, can seek reinstatement of his MP status.

In a tweet, the Congress party said, "Truth has won over untruth," and in another, the grand old party showed a picture of Rahul Gandhi speaking in parliament and a picture of PM Modi and businessman Gautam Adani, captioned, "coming... questions will continue". 

The party tweeted the picture indicating that the party is again going to push back at the government over the Hindenburg report on the Adani Group.

A three-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha, and Sanjay Kumar said the trial court judge gave no reason for convicting Gandhi other than admonishing him in a contempt case.

After Gandhi offered an unconditional apology, the Supreme Court dismissed the contempt proceedings against him for incorrectly attributing to it his "chowkidar chor hai" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Rafale case, with a warning to be more cautious in the future, news agency PTI reported. 

The 17th Lok Sabha's term ends in May 2024.

In terms of conviction, the Supreme Court stated that the maximum sentence for an offence punishable under Section 499 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code is two years imprisonment or fine or both, and the trial judge has awarded the maximum sentence of two years, the report said. 

The top Court was hearing Gandhi's appeal of the Gujarat High Court's decision to dismiss his request for a stay of execution in the defamation case filed by Purnesh Modi over his "Modi surname" remark.

Gandhi has consistently refused to apologise for his remark, but has urged the Supreme Court to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case stemming from his remark, claiming he is innocent.

Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation case against Gandhi in 2019 after he said, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?" during an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka, on April 13, 2019.